


Numinious

by MrsBeautifulDisaster



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Princess - Freeform, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-09-25 14:05:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9823826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsBeautifulDisaster/pseuds/MrsBeautifulDisaster
Summary: "My body felt possessed. I was being pushed by my shadow. I hardly remember the journey, but the destination became clear; it was you. The universe was hurtling me toward the sun."





	1. ♛

**And the crown—it weighs heavy**   
**'Til it's banging on my eyelids**   
**Retreating in covers and closing the curtains**   
**One thing's for certain, oh**   
**A year like this passes so strangely**   
**Somewhere between sorrow and bliss.**

History and literature alike are rife with tales of sweeping romance, splendor, and true, unyielding love. There is a strange, but perfectly sane fascination of humankind with stories running rampant with such passion and grandeur as the fairy tales we've heard since birth. Since our very childhood, I think, most of us reach out toward that tiny, slim glimmer of hope that somewhere, somehow, there's a fairy-tale ending awaiting us at the denouement of our youth. Many times, we seek out the slightest hint of truth in these endings – where "happily ever afters" abound in infinite bliss and only the villain is doomed to an ill-fated finale. Many of us want nothing more than to hold one of those for ourselves.

**Oh, you wondrous creature**   
**Coming up who we are**   
**'Cause I'm retreating in covers and closing the curtains**   
**One thing's for certain, oh**   
**A year like this passes so strangely**   
**Somewhere between sorrow and bliss**

But at the same time, many of the tales we find ourselves reaching toward are bereft of any truly happy ending at all. Our heroes are the ones doomed to suffering and desolation; subject to find love, only for it to impossibly be torn from their hands because of some inevitable, yet still unseen and dire transpiration. They are trapped in the fell clutch of circumstance and the only 'ever after' they find with one another is borne from the arms of tragedy and death.

**And who cares about the thing I did that night?**   
**So what? Maybe Noctis had it right**   
**And who cares if I'm coming back alive?**   
**So what? 'Least I have the strength to fight**

There is something beguiling about these almost macabre stories of star-crossed lovers that has enraptured the minds of men and women throughout the centuries; that has doomed us to be forever enchanted with the idea of something so heartbreaking and harrowing. Is it because we each want to find a love so ardent, so rife with pure passion and devotion, that we would be willing to lay down our own lives for it? Is it because some small, almost inconceivable part of us knows that something so pure and so true is impossible for the dark world, the stark reality in which we all live? Or is it because that, in some small, beautiful, innocent way, we somehow know that for even the most wayward of souls there is still hope to become the most kindred of hearts? Is it possible for two households so alike in dignity and stature, yet so different in infinite other ways, to bear two fruits of true love?

Perhaps not all lovers who play the roles of Romeo and Juliet, have to be so star-crossed.


	2. I

The daylight had dwindled to a barely perceptible lightening of the gloom. Galdin Quay bathed in alacrity colors, the blustery night awakened after the red and oranges hues disappeared from view.

They were soft, silvery and emanated a divine aura of everlasting magic and hope. It coiled its glowing tendrils upon whatever it came across, dipping the scenery in a radiant, hypnotic glow. It showered down as sprinkles of allure and pearly hues, casting shadows that bathed in its intrinsic charm. But then, in a mere seconds, a cloud- grave and purposeful, moved stolidly with a gust of the invigorating breeze, and mercilessly concealed the moon, thus leaving the world austere, miserable and dark.

The hour draws near to midnight as creatures of a macabre nature meander about in the terrifying atmosphere. The moon provides the mountains with what little light the clouds allow to passage. In this faint luminscence the woman grew worried. Seeing as the group of four had not arrived at their destination.

King Regis had provided the woman with an essential task. Destroy the empire and lead Prince Noctis to its rightful throne. Only the elder man was aware of her true identity as she had managed to hide it her entire life.

The creak of a car door permeates her ears, followed by the bantering of four familiar voices. "If it isn't my favorite boyband. Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia and lastly Ignis Stupeo Scientia. Pleasure meeting all of you." The glimmering in her coffee colored irises evident.

The men shared a baffled look before scanning the cryptic female. They came to the conclusion she served the royal family as she wore the common Crownsguard attire. Her pale skin a contrast to the charcoal and aurelian enhanced ensemble. Her chocolate hair cascaded in lustrous waves down to her waist.

"Cool! We're a boyband now." Prompto announced enthusiastically before being interrupted by the prince.

"Who are you?"

She adverted her brilliant bronze eyes towards Noctis before "My name nor title are of any importance, your Highness." She curtsied in a humurous manner before contuining her story. "I have a rather strange request. I'd like to have a moment with mister Scientia, if that's possible?"

The calming ambiance surrounding the strategist gradually faded at the sentence. Her intentions were vague to the tall man before he merely nodded, accepting her request. All boys gave a thumbs up before withdrawing from the scene, a clueless look etched on his face as his gentle green eyes roamed her delicate frame.

"King Regis sent me here to guide you along these dark roads. He believes Niflheim will attack tonight during the peace treaty. It is my duty to shed a light on your journey, fulfilling Noctis' prophecy. I cannot offer any help as an outsider."

The imperceptible breeze added to the dramatic scene. Ignis' eyes widened at the new gained information. "Does the Kingsglaive offer no value to defend Insomnia against Niflheim? The crystal must be protected at all cost."

"Lady Lunafreya has been taken into custody by Niflheim soldiers. The Kingsglaive soldiers are currently retrieving her. Unfortunately the King deemed the kidnapping a manuevre of distraction." The same complication was granted to her, yet she chose to ignore his insinuation.

"We must return to Insomnia."

The woman's thoughts tumbled in a chaotic motion. "I was afraid you'd say that. Ignis your uncle is safe and sound after I sent him on a well earned vacation to Lestallum." She reassured the man. "However we must protect the Prince at all cost, we cannot led him straight into enemies..."

Her attention was drawn to the fuschia-haired man that appeared in her peripheral vision. She stormed off raising the advisor's confusion. Her red-soled heels made a rythmical noise against the causeway, solid and regular, her face stern. Beneath the masker of her delight was a woman hidden with power and intelligence.

"Consider it your allowance."

"Yeah?" Gladio's words followed suit. "And who's allowing us?"

She recognized the mellifluous voice, knowing the nightmare had just begun.

"Ardyn." The woman raised her voice, drawing the attention of the elder man. She cautiously approached him, observing his aloof mannerism. "A proper explanation would suffice on why you'd grace us with your presence." To challenge her was a foolish decision.

"Now, now. You've grown into quite the lady." He takes off his distinctive, black fedora before he startles her with a graceful bow. "So I finally have the pleasure to meet you. The legend."

"I couldn't exactly say the same, now can I?" She spoke, a harsh tone layered her voice. She was well-informed of the vicious schemes he had arranged in Insomnia. "Allow me to offer you the chance to escape before it is too late to return."

"Fiesty, just like your father. Our paths will cross again in the future. Till next time." He said, disclosing the chat as he revealed his departure. He wavered off the Prince and his entourage before abandoning the scene.

"Do we really believe on what he said about the ports being closed?" Prompto inclined his eyes lingering in the distance.

"I'm skeptical, though I won't discount the possibility." Ignis inquired, awaiting the other's calculated response.

Gladio acknowledged the situation, nodding aprovingly towards the startegist. "I say we go check it out ourselves."

"There rests only one more matter on the table. I can assure you she is an appreciated member to our team, regardless to my opinion, I ask yours, Noct. How about we add an extra member to our 'boyband'?"

The raven haired boy observed the foreign woman as he had carefully considered his options. He diverted his eyes towards the three men, before settling his decision. "Yeah sure, why not."

Her sigh was of a softly deflating; it was as if a tension had lifted yet left her with a melancholy instead of relief. She returned his kind gesture with a fond smile whilst following the males to the assigned dock, a light roseate hue began to appear on her cheeks.

"Aw, man." Prompto groaned in frustration. "Not a boat in sight, what gives?"

"According to my sources." An unknown source proclaimed. "The empire, giving strict orders not to let any vessels leave the docks of Altissia." The expression he wore was a perfect indicator of his intentions. "Real shame if you were late to your own wedding, right Prince Noctis? Name's Dino by the way. Pleasure."

He paused for a mere moment. "The crown Prince of Lucis, bounty-hunting in his fancy car. Surely you didn't think it'd go unnoticed - at least not by this reporter? Lucky for you, this reporter has integrity. If you wanna remain incognito, I'll respect your wish. In exchange for a favor."

Noctis opted to listen to his wise words, with a single nod he commanded the reporter to continue his story.


	3. II

Dawn sent shimmering rays over the placid ocean, bestowing a golden path from the shore to the horizon. She let the moment sink in, soothe her from her core right out to where the nascent rays touched her skin. This meant a new beginning was possible and possibilities meant hope.

A scene that was meant to be savoured instead of squandered. The island in the distance was a mere silhouette against the intensely hued background. It's psychedelic colors concocting a lustrous sight.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" The man mused, bemusement etched upon his visage as she glanced over her shoulder.

There was hardly an adequate amount of time to react before he sat beside her, admiring the astounding view. With a subtle hum eyes of chestnut origin pulled away from the morning sky, focusing herself on Ignis.

"To be honest, I haven't slept at all."

He looks up to her gentle features. His smile has an interrogative tone as he listens to her crystalline voice. He had yet to unravel her, her aura laced in illustrious mystery, she is an enigma, personified. Complexities wrapped up and folded into a myriad of questions. Yet he found her rather intriguing.

"And why is that?" The alluring accent questioned, hesitant to show interest in such a subject. "Was it due to our hunt, yesterday? I'm perfectly sure Dino won't bother us with anymore quests."

"It's nothing." A sigh fluttered on the summer breeze, its sound and movement dissipated out of the vastness of Eos. "It is truly nothing to be worried about." Her words were a mere understatement.

Fragments of her thoughts were visible to the strategist, splinters of words and droplets of silence spun around her petite frame as her chocolate colored orbs had lost their earlier sparkle. not to push the matter if she did not wish to discuss her concerns.

"Very well than. I'll return in a few moments, I have some business to attend to."

Clandestine filaments of concern course through her veins, yet there remains to be an impelling secret. Immaculate features did not dare to falter, it simply wasn't allowed for her to be exposed on such a peculair occasion. Fluctuation of irises eliciting abhorrence of delay for she kept her ulterior motives hidden.

Delicate fingertips traced the wooden outline of the deck as her mind wandered to previous events. For the briefest of moments she allowed herself to remember the past.

_Ancient marble monoliths adorned in gold and platinum casted the sacred halls. Eyes glistening with innocence memorized their exact pattern._

_"I cannot guarantee your safety, Princess Aurora." He finally spoke, his voice a monotone whisper. Tersely are the words enunciated, prying at her instincts._

_"I can easily defend myself. These Niflheim soldiers will stand no chance against the Kingsglaive."_

_"Your identity will not be revealed because of a threat." His determination tangled in his words. The ruler had acknowledged the possible outcomes of signing the peace treaty._

_"A threat? We're at war." Aurora's question resounds through the royal halls. King Regis's dilemma was something she could not comprehend. "Father, I do not trust our 'esteemed' guests."_

_The fragrance of nightfall interupts their acrimonious conversation. "Go my dearest daughter, meet Noctis and his friends at Galdin Quay." Cane flicked to emphasize his words. " I have faith in you."_

_Wordlessly the man opens his arm in invitation, as Aurora flings herself in his embrace with a strangled sob. Then she disappeared without a backward glance._

A defiant voice breaks through the symphony of disorder, luring the female's attention. Her first instinct would arise as she flourishes in motion. Focused she alters the density of air around her. "I'm as calm as I'm gonna get."

"There was an attack. The Imperial Army has taken the Crown City." Ignis announces in a hushed voice, his stoic demeanor evident hoping it would ease the prince.

"As treaty room tempers flared, blast lit the night sky, when the smoke about the Citadel had cleared. The king was found dead." Disbelief melting in Gladio's voice.

Incensed laces Noctis's weary features, he tries to repress his features, but to no avail. His expression an indefinite amount of sadness.When her ears accustomed to the lack of sound, frustration settled in her bones. The suspended moment only added fuel, it gnawed at her insides. "No. Wait. Hold on."

"We had no way of knowing."

"Knowing what?"

"That the signing was last night. That Insomnia..."

"But the wedding. Altissia." The ravenette's cerulean eyes pervaded with indignance and petulance.

"I know, that was the plan. Yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?" Skepticism lacing the adviser's voice, feigning placidity by remaining still. His words are aimed to be lighthearted compared to the current mood.

"Lies." Noctis exclaimed, his voice rising above the sacred silence.

"If only." Melancholy resonates in Prompto's spoken sentence. In a futile attempt to comfort his friend.

"What else do we know? Can't be sure until we see it with our own eyes." Gladio responded.

A brief gesture was addressed from Prompto, a nod merely inclined he accepted Gladiolus's plan. "And that means we go back to Insomnia."

"Might not be safe for us there." The given retort was brisk but firm, Ignis was not in the habit of sparing critism.

"Might not be safe for us here." Prompto inclined, his clutch tigthening around the newspaper. Unbeknownst to her, the woman's hands were trembling, disastrous thoughts plaguing her mind as she remembered their last exchange.

Ignis's viridescent hues glanced up at her, his hands clasped around her smaller, delicate ones. His gloved grasp offered warmth, however it did not soothe her edges.

Convulsing, she falls to her knees before them suddenly, her strength abruptly abandoning her at his address. Her mind screams for composure, Ignis' words send a torrent of electrifying emotions throughout her veins.

**Rage.**

**Sadness.**

**Uncertainty.**

**Fury.** Unremitting, seething anger at the merciless circumstances.

 **Grief.** Self-loathing that washes over her without clemency, directed at all she had done. Knowing she is honor bound to fulfill the prophecy she owed her father, no matter the cost. The most potent amongst the sensations that course through her entire being, fueled by the constant rush of adrenaline that had her so anxious and on edge... Is fear. A renewed sense of trepidation. The decisive, yet tumultuous current of thoughts roils within her mind in a split second. "Let's get our revenge."


	4. III

Hope is a source on which one can rely on, even in the most fearsome of days. Without hope, there is only meaningless suffering, hope is a bright star in a dark universe. Hope is the guiding light for one on a wayward path. It never fails. In times of sorrow, it's impossible to imagine a brighter future. Many trials and tribulations have constructed the princess to the woman she was this very day.

The optimistic outlook has been her one constant since birth, however with previous events, hope shatters fragment by fragment. Death is inevitable. It is a fate one must accept, she was aware of this although she refused to accept that her father had died. There was still hope.

"I hope everyone's okay." Slight disturbance etched on the young blonde's soft features.

"A lot of good hoping's gotta do." Rhetoric tied around the prince's words.

"You mustn't lose faith." Despite how Ignis's words aimed to invoke a temperate side of the boy it only fueled his anger.

He hears words that only echoes to the hollowness of his soul. "Really? Can faith stop an imperial army of dreadnoughts?" Mockery aligned with rage, his voice cracks in a growl.

"Give it a rest."

Noctis latched on the anger, ferocity was faced with the anguish that settled deep inside his bones. "My old man had plenty of faith."

"Enough." Gladio's attempts to shush the prince were futile.

"The empire lied, they betrayed us." Prompto followed, his thoughts aligned with Noctis.

"Conjucture gets us nowhere. We're searching for truth."

"All you find are lies. Like that ceasefire." The prince acclaimed.

Silence veils the scene, caressing her skin, as she arranged her thoughts, the storm advancing to no avail.

"Look at the size of those things." Prompto interferes, head canted upwards to cast a better glance at the enormous aircraft.

"Imperial dreadnoughts. They transport soldiers, namely the magitek infantry." Idle commentary under the strategist's breath.

"The robots?" Gladiolus's face contorting into one of confusion.

"Mass produced humanoid weapons of warfare, to be more precise."

"Doesn't look like they'll be signing the peace treaty." The blonde announced. "Up ahead." Prompto states, awaiting Ignis's guidance.

A firm nod followed, a minuscule tense of muscle barely visible. "They've set up an inspection point." Brows leveled behind spectacles, a mere motion not meant to truly rise suspicion, only to scan the arisen complication.

"If the road ahead is blocked, we will find a way around."

"Let's make a detour. There ought to be a decent vantage point up ahead." His observant eyes scanning the surrounding area.

The team follows the distinct pathway where bionic soldiers had recently been spotted as they continued their search. Suddenly, a new sound forces itself in their ears, viruntely tearing into their auditory register.

"There they are. Wanna take them out?" The burly man spoke in a hushed grumble as to not alert the mechanical puppeteers.

Noctis's voiced his approval of Gladio's plan. "Oh yeah. These scrap peeps are gonna wish they had a treaty to protect them."

She loathed violence but knew it was imminent. The ruins quake with the battle instigated within Insomnia's reach which Niflheim had recently overtaken. The mage immediately advances. She had considered Ignis's battle tactics but it was too late to return as she had already challenged the soldiers.

"You. Fucking. Bastards."

The adolescent mage thrusts her index finger in defensive preparation, her porcelain fingers directing towards the enemy. A violent shade of scarlet engulfs the world around her. Aurora forces the energy's substance to roil within the confines of the area, commanding the elements to consume every last bit of the fierce power that had already wrought such destruction around her. Shirking sorcerous finesse, the woman directs her power towards the ionic villains.

"Impressive." The strategist compliments the mage, the individual blessing earned her attention, as royal eyes revealed her bemusement. She curtsied in response, admiring the appreciation from the spectacled man.

The mystic woman grimaces as the mercenaries approach them. "Where they keep coming from?" Prompto's expression solemnly. The cacophony of their arrival not unnoticed by the androids.

"We'll have time for questions later. First we've got company." Aurora inclines gesturing towards the incoming battalion. "Brace yourself."

"Can't you do that fire thing from earlier?"

Appearances can be deceptive. They can blind someone to what lies behind an unreal facade, tell false truths to one blatantly. "Where's the fun in that?" She answers, her visage as hostile as before. A scorching reminder of the boundaries her powers held. She clenched her jaw to endure the agony.

She materialises her silver blade. Slashing it delicately at the air before pausing her movements, the blade held even, perfectly leveled at an undaunted horizon. Dissolving into a cloud of shards, before warping towards the enemies.

"I can't imagine what it's like inside." The blonde retorts in a skeptic expression, his gun fixed on the metal men.

Broken armor signaled defeat of enemy. Ignis's emerald eyes remained on the opponent not thoroughly convinced that the death of one group did not introduce the entrance of another. "We should seek a vantage point. The hill." Nostrils flared as another ship had arrived.

"So these are MT's."

"Empty humanoid soldiers. Soulless. Merciless."

The warrior is quite familiar with the music of battle; a chaotic symphony that ebbs and flows with every calculated strike. The final lash of her sword is swift, a conclusive chord to the turbulent melody.

Behind them lies a cluttered and chaotic mess, mechanical bodies and limbs littering the dew-laden grass. The habitual expression of pursed lips evident on her face, in absolute contrast to how she wanted to appear: elated.

Unhurried strides carries them forward, a rhythmic march against the wet soil.

Upon arriving at the vantage point, eyes of mahogany origin observe the landscape ahead. The hope that Insomnia had represented; gone. Replaced by ashes, decay and loss. The horizon had practically vanished, only the Citadel stood tall even now, albeit blemished and crumbling areas. In the realm of Lucis, black represented an equilibrium. However seeing the lack of color envelope their beloved Crown City it was the opposite of Lucis's symbol.

"Discussion between the two nations. All traditional terms have been suspended in light of recent development. Moreover in the wake of the news King Regis's death, we've now recieved word that Crown Prince Noctis and the Oracle Lady Lunafreya have also been pronounced dead." Prompto tried to adjust the volume of his phone. Whilst fidgeting with the buttons it slipped through his fingers.

Intermingled with ashes that still swirled, rain surrounded the scene. Pristine drops landed on spring grass, each droplet alighted on her skin, a demand to summon her to the present. Delicate tricklets cascaded over numerous freckles before her mind deciphers the news.

"Keep it on." Gladio commanded the clumsy blonde.

"Don't bother!" Noctis's bellow ricocheted off the stone walls, a testimony to his undefinable sorrow. The four realized his clamor was one attested to pain concocted with fright and resentment instead of anger.

The strategist's barren palms scoured the ground, digging through layers of loose dirt and earthen debris before he retrieved the phone to Prompto.

A peculiar noise alerted them all. Their eyes casted towards the source: Noctis's phone.

"Cor?" The prince responded unaware of Aurora's breach in his personal space, undettered by his mental state.

_"So you made it?"_

"The hell is going on?"

_"Where are you?"_

"Outside the city. With no way back in."

_"Well sure makes sense."_

"Makes sense?! What about any of this makes sense? The news just told me I'm dead, along with my father and Luna."

_"Listen, I'm heading out to Hammerhead. About the King. It's true. If you're looking for the whole truth you know where to find me. Get moving."_

"Right."

Instinct kept the strategist as still as a statue. "What did the Marshall, have to say?"

"Said he'd be in Hammerhead."

"And the King?"

His silence spoke more than words were able to. One last glance was necessary as realization dawns upon her. Hope shattered into a million fragments. A future she wishes to suppress.


	5. IV

_The vaguely shaped darkness causes only more concern for the brunette, the once vibrant scenery was no more than a vivid dream. The blanket of blackness that obliterated every evidence that light even existed._

_Threats lie dormant. "Monster! This is my vengeance." She was the epitome of chaos encompassed in a body. Courage emerges from the abyss of fear._

_Daemons advance, anguished cries aimed at the warrior. Bare fingers tightened around the royal blade, inclined to eliminate the eerie creatures. Brows were knitted together in sheer focus, the daemons remain. Their blurred faces focusing on the woman._

_She walked boldly with the might of a maelstrom. Every exhale a tidal wave swallowing everything in its wake. She danced carelessly through the wreckage. She attacked as fire rained from the sky. She was order within chaos._

_"What a courageous soul." Words carrying the disturbing melody of mockery. Curiosity set ablazed by the sparks of her fierceness. "Shame your fate has been sealed." Grandiloquence coating his words, a hint of amusement evident in his amber eyes._

_"Such a shame it is." Sarcasm accentuates her comment. Her posture a stark contrast in comparison to the ominous aura._

_"Allow me to offer you an option. Join the empire, I can assure you it will be the wisest decision." A sinister response sprouts from refined manner._

_It was conveyed as a request, yet acted like a command. Her reaction idly lingered on plump lips before acknowledging her answer. "No I will never join the empire. Niflheim will fall beneath Noctis's reign."_

_"Poor thing, haven't you seen?"_

_The girl utters a gasp as she recognizes the egregious familiarity of the daemons._

_Noctis Lucis Caelum_   
_Regis Lucis Caelum_   
_Gladiolus Amicitia_   
_Prompto Argentum_   
_Ignis Stupeo Scientia_

"Pardon me?" Ebony hues dare to flutter open, the vestiges of a nightmare confines in barely parted lips. "You've fallen asleep in the car. Are you alright?"

Eyes briefly revealed apprehension, hinting at the suspiciously delayed answer. "Just a bad dream."

Sympathy graced his features. "How is your hand?"

"I appreciate your concern, sir. It'll heal eventually." the former soldier held her posture, feigning a smile.

"There's no need for formalities." Ignis spoke politely. "Anything to which I might be of assistance?" Tarnished skin hidden beneath a layer of thick leather reacted upon hearing her companion's words. Pain was but an arsonists common attendant. Fingers soon drawing desired medic utensils out of the depths of his kit. Not bothering to ask for permission, emerald eyes surveyed the damaged skin. "This may hurt." Trained movements fumigated her wounds, crystalline hues fluttered shut as pain ignited tenfold and feasted her senses. "Refrain from using magic for a while."

"Thank you, Ignis." Harmony lay prominent in her voice. Another occasion is presented to silence, melodic breath ushers forth words of remembrance. "Where is everyone?"

Lagoon-esque irises adverted their gaze. "Gathering information regarding Cor's location. Cid mentioned he was near the royal tomb." Luminiscent aura akin to lunar resplendence.

"Perhaps we should follow them."

"Brilliant idea."

Metuculous steps advances the pair towards the tomb. The night is still. Smooth, tendrils of moonlight pour from between what few clouds dot the sky the summer night, washing the lush, mountainous lands with their purity, caressing Eos in their divinity, encompassing the whole of the area with their light in the natural darkness. The night is silent. Not a breeze dares rustle the trees' blooming leaves and disturb the serenity.

⚜

"The power of kings, passed from old to the new through the bonding of souls. One such soul lies before you. To claim your forebear's power is your birthright and duty as king."

Consternation adorned the ravenette's visage, a congested sensation surging through his veins. "My duty as king of what?" Frame nearly collapsing beneath the weight of a mere memory.

"Now is not the time to question your calling. A king is sworn to protect his people." The statement Cor presented was potent with grief.

"And yet he chose to protect only one prince. Was that his calling? Forsake the masses to spare his own son?" The elusive question had worsened his frivolous thoughts.

"How long will you remain the protected? The king entrusted the role of protector to you." Callousness smothered the Marshal by virtue of admiration. Countenance faltered, stern features softening yet crystalline eyes still held their piercing gaze.

" _Entrusted_ it to me? Then why didn't he tell me that? Why did he stand there smiling as I left?" His senses littered with remorse. **Behold, for the dagger of prophecy.** "Why?! Why did he lie to me?" A remnant of his own tragedy, obsidian ichor dared to rise to the surface.

"That day, he didn't want you to remember him as the king. In what time you had left, he wanted to be your father." Relinquished in the sentiment of utmost absolution. For the Marshal had lost his best friend. "He always had faith in you, that when the time came, you would ascend for the sake of your people."

"Guess he left me no choice." A staggered breath erupted from cracked lips. His fingers forged around his ancestor's sculpture. The crystalline properties in the weapon revealing itself, resulting in a bursting of lights. Its intense sparkle astonished Aurora. A venomous reminder of the Six's picturesque image.

"The power of kings goes with you, Your Majesty." Cor dares not to protest against bitter words. "That's not the only power your forebears left you. Your journey's just begun. Another tomb lies close by. I suggest you head there next." He perceived the sound of his approach, continuing his story. "There are tombs scattered across the land. All are on dangerous ground. I'll go with you, for the time being. Not only to help but get a measure of your strength."

"So just how many of these _powers_ are out there?"

"There are thirteen known royal arms, each enshrined at a royal tomb, though we know the location of only a few. I've enlisted the help of the Hunters. They comb the land in search of the lost tombs."

"Where's the one nearby you mentioned?"

"Keycatrich Trench. We know there to be a crypt deep inside the tunnels."

Hands fold behind the small of her straightened posture, admiring the scattered embers against obsidian background. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings. Plumes of sand erupted as heavy combat boots made contact with the barren land.

"Long years ago, we waged a fierce battle here against the empire. It all went to ruin, and after that, the empire moved in like it owned the place."

Auburn oculars lit to their utmost fluorescents. Instinct was a swordsman's most adamant defense. These meticulous, tentative method served as a catalyst for her growing bewilderment. There ensues a metallic cry of a swords's momentary collision. Her blade caressing hardened extremities. Slaughtering the intended targets alongside the men.

"I see your battle tactics have improved immensely, Aurora. Your father would have been proud of your achievement." The elder man speaks curtly. "Noctis I believe a compliment is in order for the strength you posses."

A gloved palm gently pressed against younger companion's shoulder to capture her attention before she could react to Cor's statement. "Feeling any better, _Aurora?"_

Chestnut met viridian, both upheld shared glance a bit too long. To savor established closeness. "Better. Thank you, Ignis." A shallow whisper, resounding midst twirling thoughts but nonetheless drowning in the loud beating of her heart.

Thorough observation by the advisor. "A magitek armor." His eyes deviate, preoccupied by the petite woman who'd inspected the carcass. She possessed little knowledge to this machinery.

Corpses lay dissevered at the tips of their feet, scattered across the battlefield. Exaltation only presented by her trembling fingers.

"Dangerous?"

"This particular model poses a mild to moderate threat -" The sentence enunciates with subtle hesitation.

"The short version." Noct's scrutinized features lost in a momentary silence.

"Somewhat dangerous." Avowed words appeared oddly encouraging.

"Here's where we go our seperate ways. Take this key. It unlocks the door to the other tombs. Seek them out and lay claim to the power they hold. You'll both need it." The Marshal acclaimed, abruptly coming to a halt before the entrance of said tomb. Unbeknownst to the group he had greater quests to attend.

"And what will you do?" A subtle interest shown, her intentions pure towards the loyal man.

"Keep an eye on the Niffs. Find out what they're up to. But you should focus on your own tasks." Tension spreading through tall frame at the mention of this difficult task.

"We will Marshal. Take care and send my regards to the other Crownsguard."

"I will, Princess Aurora."


End file.
